CHAPTERXI.
Leave Ankobar.—Arrive in Aliu Amba.—Musical party.—Durgo.—Arrangements with Tinta.—Remarks upon internal Government of Shoa.—The authority of Sahale Selassee. His virtues.
Leave Ankobar.—Arrive in Aliu Amba.—Musical party.—Durgo.—Arrangements with Tinta.—Remarks upon internal Government of Shoa.—The authority of Sahale Selassee. His virtues.
Havingslept well during the night, in spite of the very numerous fleas, and similar trifling annoyances, to which I had become in some measure accustomed, as must every traveller in Abyssinia, I arose, like a giant refreshed; for one comfort, amidst all the disheartening circumstances that oppressed me was, that every other day was one of rest, on which I was, comparatively speaking, well. A few beads to Eichess and Mahriam, repaid them for their attention, and my mule being brought, before the sun had cast his first beams over the ridge in front of Ankobar, I was following Walderheros along a narrow winding lane, between high banks, on which grew the broad-leaved banana-like Ensete plant, and the thick coarse foliage of a dwarf tree called, “y’ shokoko Gwomen,” the rock rabbit cabbage. In a short time, we emerged into the regular road to Aliu Amba, called the lower road, in contradistinction to theone that leads through Ankobar above, and after an hour’s ride, I arrived upon the market-place portion of the rock of Aliu Amba, long before Walderheros, but the mule took me direct to my old quarters at Miriam’s house, along the labyrinth of lanes that would otherwise have sorely puzzled me. Here I was received by a crowd of women, who announced my arrival with a loud and long-continued cry of “La, La, La,” a customary welcome, never omitted on the return home of any one who has been absent for a time. I subsequently observed, that the more chance there was of receiving an ahmulah to spend in ale afterwards, the more joyous was the cry, and more numerous was the assembly. Two native fiddlers also presented themselves, immediately that I had seated myself in the house, bringing with them their instruments, and a little doll dressed up to represent an Amhara soldier, with small but well-made models of spear, shield, and the peculiar crooked sword of the country.
Their fiddles were clumsy-looking affairs, consisting of a long handle, a lozenge-shaped parchment body, and one string formed of a loose bundle of horse-hairs, that at the upper extremity of the handle were secured to a moveable pin of wood three or four inches long, and after being carried over a bridge which stood upon one of the parchment faces, were looped down to a little projection beyond. The string thus formed, wastightened at pleasure, by simply twisting it upon the stick pin. The bows were caricatures of the European ones, being little tough boughs of some tree or other, bent into a semicircle, the two ends being connected by a loose band of horse-hair of the same character as the fiddle-string. A piece ofattan, or the frankincense of Arabia, served the musicians instead of resin, and was kept in little bags that were suspended by strings from the handles of their instruments. A sharp pointed stick being pushed into the ground, the doll was fixed upon it so that it could move freely about. It was then connected by a long string with the bow of the fiddle, the motion of the one whilst playing, making the other jump about in the most approved Jim Crow fashion, to the great delight of the naked, chattering, dark-skinned children, who pushed their faces and little limbs among their equally amused, but more staid elders, who thronged the house to witness the performance. When the musicians departed, a present of two ahmulahs made them quite happy, and after they were gone, and the greater part of the company with them, Sheik Tigh and Hadjji Abdullah came in to ask the news, and to hear about the success of my journey to Angolahlah. Miriam, by dint of a great deal of puffing at a little stick fire, before which she knelt, managed at length, to prepare some coffee. My pipe was filled, and Walderheros, who in the mean time had come in, was sent toborrow another for Hadjji Abdullah. Sheik Tigh, having some Wahabbee notions, did not indulge in the fumes of tobacco, so he sat upon one of the boxes, commenting upon and endeavouring to explain by sundry guesses, the motives that could have induced the Negoos, in the first place, to order me out of the kingdom, and then treating me so well when I went up to see him. It was concluded, at last, that I was on the high way to state preferment, which was presently confirmed by my balderabah Tinta, much to my surprise, making his appearance, bringing a message, not only to me, but to Sheik Tigh. Three affaroitsh, or distributors of durgo, accompanied him, bringing presents of white wheaten bread, honey, and butter. The two latter were in large earthenware jars containing ten or twelve pounds each. The message from the Negoos for me was to the effect that I must learn the Amharic language as quickly as possible, and to take plenty of medicine so that I might be quite well to visit his majesty, on the occasion of his visit to “Michael wans,” which would be during the fast of Felsat, (the ascension of the Virgin Mary,) about the beginning of the next month, August. Sheik Tigh also received an order to act as my “duptera,” or teacher, and received a small piece of parchment like the one I had received in Angolahlah, and which awarded to him in return for the duty of attending to my Amharic education, tencunaof grain every month.
As I had then no more than sixteen dollars, all of which I might be called upon to pay at any moment to different parties of my escort and Kafilah friends, I was in some measure obliged to be dependent upon the hospitality of the Negoos, upon whom the information that I was very poor had a very contrary effect to what was intended by the embassy. In fact, the chief object of Tinta in following me was, to arrange with me in what manner I would receive the durgo of bread and wine which he, as Governor of Aliu Amba and my balderabah, had to provide. Walderheros, upon whose sagacity and honesty I could depend, advised me that I should make a composition or agreement with Tinta, that instead of receiving all the rations of bread, honey, butter, &c., to deliver which, daily, at my house would have been very inconvenient to him, I would take the same quantity of grain as Sheik Tigh, and although three times more than I should actually require for making bread, that which would remain, Walderheros remarked, he could easily exchange in the market for fowls or sheep.
The proposition being both reasonable and convenient, Tinta agreed immediately, but added, that the honey and the butter coming direct from the stores of the Negoos, he had nothing to do with them, and they would be continued every month in the same quantities that I had just received them, and if this were not done, I was to complain to him.During the nine months I remained in Shoa, however, this maintenance, which is considered equivalent to the gift of a village, was supplied to me monthly, as regularly as if I had sent my own servant for it. The only deviation in this first arrangement was when Sheik Tigh was taken away upon some duty to Bulga, the ten cuna of grain which he had received was then given to me for the purpose of paying a fresh schoolmaster.
Tinta was a good-hearted man, very cautious in his manner, and most faithfully attached to hisgaitah, Sahale Selassee, than whom, in his eyes, there could not be a better or a greater monarch. For several days he remained in Aliu Amba, and on some pretence or other always came accompanied with Sheik Tigh as his interpreter to spend the afternoon with me. I soon perceived that the real object of these visits was to learn the motive that had induced so many Europeans to visit Shoa of late. About this time, it must be observed, information had arrived of the approach of M. Rochet de Hericourt bearing presents from the King of France to Sahale Selassee. I scarcely knew how to answer Tinta, except by complimenting him upon the able character of the Negoos, of which we had heard in our country, and, induced us to desire a more intimate acquaintance with a monarch of whom report spoke so highly. This not appearing satisfactory, cupidity, the national vice of Abyssinia, I thought might be excited favourably for the explanation desired; soI entered largely upon the great commercial benefits that would accrue to the Shoans by a communication being kept up between their country and the sea-coast. The very supposition of a road being opened for this purpose seemed, however, to astound Tinta, who, with a deal of sincerity in his manner, begged of me, if I wished to remain on good terms with the Negoos, not to mention such a thing; for “how would Sahale Selassee,” he asked, “be able to preserve his people, if they could escape to countries so rich as yours.” To remove the Adal and Galla tribes, Tinta considered would be to break down the “hatta,” or fence, that alone secured the Shoans at home, for they dare not leave their country under present circumstances, except with the greatest danger to their lives.
This subject-preserving principle appears to be the most important one in the home policy of the government of Sahale Selassee, It also appears to have been the foundation of many ancient systems of social communities, and the representatives of which, preserved in their original purity, have yet to be discovered in the unknown oases that stud with desert-surrounded islands intertropical Africa.
In Shoa this principle is carried out for the sole benefit of the monarch, and Paley’s metaphor of the lording pigeon, over the productive wealth of the whole dovecote, typifies exactly the respective conditions of the Shoans and their Negoos. The strictly selfish and monopolizing rule, establishedby the sagacious monarch, has reduced all his people to the most abject state of submission, dependent upon him for every kind of property they possess. Most fortunately for them, he is a just and good man, for he can give and take away at pleasure; and thus holding wealth and honour in one hand, and poverty and wretchedness in the other, he has made himself the point upon which turns human happiness; and that kind of demon worship which propitiates spirits supposed to have the power of inflicting evil is, in consequence, paid to Sahale Selassee, who could at any moment reduce to a beggar the richest, and most powerful of his slaves.
It is no fiction of the Shoan law, that everything in the country is the positive property of the monarch. He can, without assigning any reason, dispossess the present holder and confer his wealth upon another, or retain it for his own use. He can demand the services of all his people at all times, who must perform everything required of them, to build palaces, construct bridges, till the royal demesnes, or fight his enemies. They are, from first to last, both rich and poor, the mere slaves of one sole lord and master, and scarcely a day passes over but in some way or other the most wealthy are obliged to confess it, or run the risk of being denounced as an enemy to the sovereign, which would be followed by confiscation of all property, or incarceration in Guancho, the State prison, with aheavy fine imposed. Nor do the Shoans, born and educated in this servile condition, consider such exercises of power as acts of tyranny; on the contrary, with loud protestations of their own loyalty, all the neighbours and late friends of the unfortunate individual so punished would with one accord ejaculate, “Our good King! Our good King! alas! alas! to have such an ungrateful servant!” meaning the dispossessed man of course.
Samuel’s expostulation with the Jews[9]when they demanded a King, often recurred to me at the various instances of what I at first considered to be undue demands for ploughing, or gathering in the harvest, or building store-houses for the Negoos, which were made upon the people whilst I was in the country, and who, at the bidding of the overseers appointed to see the required work done, were obliged to leave their own business, find their own tools, material, and cattle, to perform whatever was required.
“And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king. And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest,and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive-yards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers and to his servants. And he will take your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your King which ye shall have chosen; and the Lord shall not hear you in that day.”
Samuel very probably spoke from a knowledge of the customs and practices of the kingly courts in the countries surrounding Judea; and in that case the principles of home policy which direct the Sovereign of Shoa in governing his people, appear to have come down to him from a very remote time; nor can the unfair balance of power we observe between him and his people be charged to his own cunning and selfish intrigues. With the prejudices inseparable from his education as a king, he always feels jealous of his prerogative and of his power, and the threatened diminishment in the extent of either arouses his attention immediately. He is perfectly aware that man’s nature will not allow him to submit entirely to the arbitrary ruleof even the most just superior, and that some spirits will always be springing up among his subjects, the more numerous the greater the opportunities may be, and who will endeavour to escape from the bondage to which they have been born.
It is just possible to conceive the relation between the monarch of Shoa and his people by comparison with the state and condition of the household of some rich and powerful nobleman in England; with this difference, that in the latter case it is optional on the part of the dependents to continue their servitude; whilst the Negoos possesses the stronger hold upon the services and property of his subjects, and consequently a greater power of exercising his will, because they have no means of removing themselves away from his power. If opportunities of escaping from this authority were afforded by allowing free intercourse with other countries, this would at once destroy that principle of dependence which is the foundation of the kingly power in Shoa, and which is perfectly understood to be so by the Negoos, and every Shoan is also well aware of the fact.
It can never be expected, therefore, that any freedom of intercourse will be encouraged by Sahale Selassee that is not connected with an increase of his dominion. Give to him the ancient empire, and he is our intelligent and useful ally; but this clever prince of a petty kingdom will never afford facilities for its being absorbed in any other empire.The proffered friendship of a lion will always be suspected by a sagacious old antelope.
A stranger, at first annoyed with the petty restraints upon unlimited personal freedom, readily excuses it when he finds this to be, part of the cautious policy dictated by the exigences of a government so constituted; and another thing which leads him to feel more satisfied with his situation in Shoa is, that he soon perceives Sahale Selassee to be superior to the temptation of abusing that power which he possesses. The contemplation of such a prince in his own country is worth the trouble and risk of visiting it. During a reign of thirty years, save one or two transient rebellions of ambitious traitors, who have led, not the subjects of Sahale Selassee, but those of his enemies, nothing like internal dissension or civil war have by their ravages defaced his happy country; whilst gradually his character for justice and probity has spread far and wide, and the supremacy of political excellence is without hesitation given to the Negoos of Shoa throughout the length and breadth of the ancient empire of Ethiopia. To be feared by every prince around, and loved by every subject at home, is the boast of the first government of civilized Europe; and strangely enough this excellence of social condition is paralleled in the heart of Africa, where we find practically carried out the most advantageous policy of a social community that one of the wisest of sages could conceive—that ofarbitrary power placed in the hands of a really good man.
Although now experiencing the advantages of virtue and wisdom directing the actions of Sahale Selassee, the Shoans of the last generation were exposed to the evils arising from the very opposite character, and have had opportunities of comparison between the disposition of the present Negoos and the severe and merciless tyrant who preceded him. All the older men who recollect the rule of Wussen Saggad abound with tales of the severe punishments, often unmerited, or inflicted for moral faults of omission in duty, rather than for the commission of actual crimes; which, in fact, as might be naturally expected under such a tyrant, were often perpetrated by those of his courtiers, who more particularly shared his favours. I saw some horrid cases of the excision of noses, and of obliteration of sight; unfortunates who had been doomed to these punishments by their tyrannical master, intruding themselves upon the traveller who visits Shoa, in the vain hope of receiving some medical relief. In one instance, I was requested by Sahale Selassee himself to do what I could to relieve one of these objects of his father’s cruelty, in whom the rude excision of the nose had been followed by a spreading cancerous sore over the whole face.
By these reflections and observations, noted down when I was more than usually put out of my wayby certain little acts of my servant; led me at last to reconcile the apparent anomaly of a very rascally proceeding, according to our ideas of social propriety, being quite compatible in Shoa with real fidelity, for my servant, the best that any man by good fortune could have fallen in with, reported every day to Tinta, whilst he remained in Aliu Amba, every visit I made or received, and I could not propose to go even to the next town for a morning’s walk, but some reason would be found to defer it until after a consultation with my balderabah, or at least my intention made known to him.
This system ofsurveillancewas most unpleasant to me, because of the groundless suspicions it seemed to betray; but I was sensible that my best policy was to pretend not to see this jealous care, but by every endeavour on my part, to deserve and secure the confidence of a prince whom I admired for his virtues, and the respect of a people, none but the most depraved themselves, could help liking for their simplicity, and for the extreme goodness of their disposition.
FOOTNOTES:[9]1 Samuelviii.10-18.
[9]1 Samuelviii.10-18.